Silent Suffering
by Jo Emmons
Summary: Even when the cause of his suffering is the boy himself, will he opt to stay silent? Surely that must be the right answer, for he can't sacrifice the smiles of others for his own selfish desires. One night, he is presented with a tempting choice, an offer that could change everything. Set after NT14.
1. Chapter 1

_It was dark._

 _Around a certain spiky-haired individual, the darkness and pure emptiness that surrounded him was overwhelming. There was no sense of direction, no means to differentiate up from down, nothing to judge distance by; there was only the dark. The boy would not have been able to see his hands if they were held out in front of him. That was the extent of the vast expanse of blackness which surrounded his form._

 _There was nothing he could do. Under these particular circumstances, there was absolutely nothing the boy could do to escape from this barren world in which he found himself stranded in._

 _And so he waited._

…

 _And he waited._

…

… …

 _How much time had passed? Had it merely been a minute? Perhaps an hour? A full day?_

 _It was impossible to tell._

 _A bright, piercing light burst into existence. Having so long ago grown accustomed to the ever-present nothingness around him, the light that suddenly invaded his sight seemed to burn his eyes, causing him to cover his face with his arms. Even so, it seemed to be able to find a path around and further attack his face._

 _Laughter accompanied the appearance of the light. It was one that was full of sadistic amusement and reeked of malice; its owner, a feminine silhouette that stood before the spiky-haired boy a distance away, though the figure's appearance was blurred and featureless against the blinding light. Having been deprived of sensory stimuli for so long, the boy even found it uncomfortable to listen to the laughter. However, that may have been due to the way the laughter was laced with malevolence._

 _Soon, the laughter gradually subsided and was followed by a simple statement from the figure._

 _"You have failed"_

 _Only three words were ushered forth. Yet those three words tore at the boy's heart, for his heart knew that it was the truth. No amount of denial or panic-induced search for another answer could change that. He could only accept the fact._

 _(I… have failed…)_

 _His thoughts weighed heavily on his conscience, threatening to crush his being. He recalled the series of events that had led up to this point. Where there had once been an island made from seafaring ships and boats, there was now nothing. Where there had once been a battle between magical and scientific forces, where there had once been peace, sadness and happiness, loneliness and companionship… Where there had once been a world painted in a dazzling palette of colors and life, there was now nothing. Due to past choices, actions and inactions, the world has ceased to be._

 _It has been destroyed._

 _Along with the values the boy lived by and stood for._

" _There is only the two of us. You will find nothing else here." The voice stated indifferently, as if it cared not for what had transpired to lead to this moment. "I have destroyed the world. You have failed…_

… _Kamijou Touma"_

…

 _(… …Ah…)_

 _Kamijou Touma listened to those words, and his mind came to a standstill. He forced himself to take in those words, take them apart and study them in a bid to find a contradiction, a hint of a lie anywhere within what that voice had said. But he found none._

 _The enormity of the situation tore away at the young high school boy._

 _Panicking now, he stumbled backwards; his head rapidly turning from side to side, eyes wide open in fear beyond this barren world, his breathing erratic._

 _The world has been destroyed._

 _Trapped so deep in his terror and trepidation, Kamijou Touma failed to notice the world around him begin to glow with a luminous light._

 _The people he knew had disappeared._

 _Lost in his delusions and last-ditch effort to return to the life he knew, Kamijou Touma failed to notice the world around him as lines faded in and colors swirled around, in an artistic manner similar to the creations brought to life by a painter. The world around him formed a familiar setting._

 _The life he knew had been taken away from him…_

…

 _The life he knew had… returned to him?_

 _That was his first desperate belief as he took notice of his surroundings._

 _Contrary to the hell that he had been in moments before, the unexpected but welcoming feeling of lying on a bed in a small room began to calm his erratic mix of emotions. While he was fully clothed and lying on the blanket rather than beneath it, the soothing pillow upon which his head rested served to finally calm his nerves. Letting out a tired, weak laugh followed by a sigh, Touma relaxed. He let his body go limp. Too tired was he to attempt to comprehend the events that had just taken place. He settled for the temporary explanation that it was all a dream, and proceeded to observe the door in the small bedroom, the cloudless night sky above him, a little penguin doll which sat on a shelf on the wall, the LCD TV on the bedside table, the-_

 _-The cloudless night sky above him?_

 _It dawned upon him then that the bedroom lacked a roof._

 _Without warning, his senses bombarded his mind, desperately telling him that something was terribly amiss. In his increased awareness he was able to notice that the LCD TV had somehow turned itself on and was now showing what appeared to be the news._

 _Turning to the side to face the TV, Touma was initially confused by what he witnessed, but he soon came to understand what he was seeing. And what he saw terrified him._

 _For the TV showed a depiction of a city._

 _It was Tokyo City._

 _And it was in flames. While suffering from what appeared to be a complete blackout, the orange-tinted sky revealed the gray outlines of destroyed buildings._

 _A female Japanese reporter dressed in a suit was explaining the scene._

" _ **The international coalition army is continuing its joint invasion of Japan's capital city of Tokyo in order to eliminate Kamijou Touma who is hiding within the city. We have word that seventy percent of the 23 special wards in the heart of the city have already been reduced to rubble, but there are concerns that the large-scale destruction will leave doubt as to whether Kamijou Touma is actually dead."**_

"… _Wh-what…?"_

 _In his mind, Touma was unable to form a response._

 _The TV broadcast switched to another channel._

 _A man stood tall as the lights and camera flashes focused on him. It was the President of the United States, President Roberto Katze._

" _ **I will skip all the unnecessary details. For one thing, we all know there was no room for argument. The Japanese government may have admitted Kamijou Touma is hiding in their country, but they have hidden this fact for a long time. That is an insult to the people of all nations who wish for a stable and peaceful international society."**_

" _Kamijou Touma"_

 _A voice spoke over the Presidential speech._

 _(That voice…!)_

 _Touma was very familiar with that voice. It was the same voice that had spoken of his failure when they had been in the broken world of nothingness from before. Could this mean that it had not been a nightmare or an illusion?_

 _Heart racing faster than before, he whipped his body around and was met with the sight of a girl with her arms folded and leaning against the wall. She was dressed in little more than a long cape, tight-fitting leather clothes bound to her body, and a wide-brimmed hat that resembled a witch's hat. An eyepatch covered her right eye._

 _Recognizing the being before him, his anger took hold as he clenched his fists._

" _Y-you! Magic God Othinus!"_

" _ **We are forcing great hardship on the people of Japan, especially those who live in the city center."**_ _The translated, peculiarly calm voice of the President spoke in the background._

 _Standing up now, he felt only anger towards the Magic God before him, and, to a lesser degree, pity for the people who were apparently wishing for his death. Surely they must be under a spell or a threat, he rationalized._

" _What did you to the world? Why isn't everyone fighting you? Did you use some sort of spell to control them? Is that why they're after me?"_

 _Othinus stared at Touma with indifference. Remaining where she stood, she spoke._

" _My, my, so many questions asked at once. Calm yourself, boy; must I repeat what I have told you before?"_

" _ **That is an undeniable fact, but we cannot end this onslaught until we have definite and undeniable proof of Kamijou Touma's death."**_

" _You are sorely mistaken if you still believe I manipulated them," Othinus stated. "I am a God. I destroyed the world; you witnessed it yourself, or has your mind finally reached the point of being unable to comprehend simple matters? Nevertheless, this is now the current world and it calls for your death. That is the reality."_

" _ **Even those of you who insist on pacifism must understand deep down. For true peace, we must slay that demon now!"**_

"…"

" _In the face of this little predicament, what will you do? As it stands, if you don't deal with the reality before you, you will die."_

" _ **Even if opinions are split in the present, historians a century from now will surely applaud our decision."**_

 _Touma was at a loss for words. It was not because he was being told that his death will arrive if he didn't act soon. Rather, the abnormality of the world in which he found himself in caused him great confusion. He wanted to cling on to the hope that the world had not been destroyed at all, but more exactly he had been transported elsewhere that was dark enough to resemble the black void-like place he and Othinus had been in. He knew that the Magic God must have deceived the inhabitants of the world by some means unknown to him, and that the God was just lying to him…_

 _He could no longer attempt to understand the actions of the Magic God, nor could he attempt to understand the consequences that transpired thereafter. If believing in false hope can help to retain his sanity, then so be it. That was his thinking._

" _ **If Kamijou Touma is allowed to escape and once more disappear into this wide world, nothing but rubble and corpses will remain in a century! In accordance with the goodness of all mankind, we will make sure to bring his life to an end!"**_

" _But… I still don't see how the world could have possibly stopped targeting you!" He managed to gather his words to form his response. "This is all a trick! All the major forces were hunting you down! There's no way you could have convinced them all to stop. If it's a spell you're using, then I'll just destroy it!" He could not accept the possibility that this world was one that the Magic God had recreated from the ashes of the original world. He did not want to come to terms with it at all. He couldn't imagine the possibility of having to survive against the entire world._

" _ **It is an extremely unique situation, but we should fight here because our honor is at stake. It is quite rare to see evil on this level these days."**_ _The TV channel changed. It showed an interview with the Queen Regnant in a palatial setting, speaking with a TV spokesperson._

" _ **Recently, even mafias and gangs have been speaking of good. We are honored to carry out the role of a modern day dragon slayer."**_

 _The Magic God let out a small sigh while containing her growing frustration. As she made to turn around and take her leave, she spoke again with a matter-of-fact tone._

" _Do what you want. It does not change the fact that your death being called for. You can continue to deceive yourself. It only makes my job easier."_

 _Before Touma could protest, a bright light entered the room from outside, accompanied by voices. With the appearance of the sudden intrusion of light and sound, the disappearance of the Magic God was soon apparent as he looked around for the source of the voices. Ignoring the disappearance of the Magic God, he discerned that the voices originated from outside._

" _Hey, I heard a TV in there, but it can't have been a 1seg TV for disasters. To preserve the battery, they don't let you turn the volume up that loud."_

" _But the power is out over the entire area. No one can run a giant TV."_

 _(N-not good!)_

 _Touma realized his mistake in leaving the TV turned on._

" _They must be using some kind of trick. Someone might be living here in secret. Let's check it out. It might be_ him _." A third voice spoke with a mix of apprehension and excitement._

 _The emphasis that was placed on the last word of the sentence caused chills to course through his spine._

 _He heard the sound of glass being shattered. A window was broken._

 _Frantically, the boy ran over his options in his mind. He recognized the futility in attempting to escape by any normal means, such as down the staircase, or along the quickest route, both of which will end in his discovery by the intruders. Having learnt this, he settled on remaining within the house, hiding and waiting until they left the house._

 _But where should he hide? Or rather, where could he hide? Hiding under the bed and hiding in the closet were some of the ideas that presented themselves in his mind. However, he knew that hiding in such a way would only defeat the purpose of concealing himself. This was because those hiding places were safe hiding places. And the safer the location he chose was, the more likely the intruders will check that location. This meant he had to hide himself in a place that barely qualifies as a hiding spot, such as behind the opened door._

 _By observing the room once again, he gathered that the exits are the door and the broken wall, though the wall wasn't broken insofar as having a few missing chunks from the wall; rather, the entire wall no longer remained. The balcony that had once linked the rooms together had also given way long ago. The rubble and remains lay strewn across what had used to be a yard._

 _While the crunching of glass shards beneath shoes and the creaking of wooden floorboards was heard past the dangerously thin flooring of the second level, Touma cautiously moved from the bed to what had used to be the wall. Peering over, he hoped that he could recover from a fall from his current height down to the ground below, should he need to escape in such a way. He had doubts though; an injured leg would only serve to slow him down and allow his then-pursuers to catch up to him. It might be possible to hastily fashion a rope from salvaging the curtains, which would allow him to climb down safely from where the balcony used to be._

 _Having finalized his plan, he pressed his body flat against the wall to hide behind the door and began his wait for the intruders._

 _But his anticipation for them was never met with their arrival. The sound of footsteps never reached the second floor._

 _It was then that he could sense a smoky scent. It had already been present when he woke up in this room, but now it was more prominent, and increasingly so._

 _The lively crackle of fire was heard._

 _The intruders had started a fire, either to smoke him out or burn him alive._

 _(Crap! What do I do now?)_

 _His plans now amounted to nothing, his expectations all but shattered. Caught by surprise in such a major way, fear resurfaced and gripped Touma, rendering him immobile. The priorities, common sense and judgement of the world truly has been taken apart and reassembled in a rather illogical manner if all it took for people to burn down a house was merely because they heard a TV. Or perhaps these events had become the norm, whereas he had still to acclimatize to the new norm and abandon his own sense of what was normal and what was not._

 _In knowing that, death awaited him if he remained in hiding. The chance of being detected if he scampered out of the house in a coughing fit was greatly increased, too._

 _As he lingered while doing battle with the tirade of thoughts and options in his mind, the relatively insignificant cackling of embers had grown into a deafening roar within mere minutes. A deadly orange glow could be seen in the gap under the door. Smoke seeped out of the gaps between the doorframe and small holes in the floor and walls._

 _Truly, there was no escape._

 _(W-what the hell do I do now!?)_

 _Fear-filled minutes flew by; precious minutes that could have allowed the panic-stricken boy to devise a plan of escape; precious minutes that had now allowed the residence to be encapsulated in the inferno. Fiery tendrils reached into the bedroom from beyond the door – it too was now in flames. The door crumbled into a smoking heap of black-red charcoal, revealing the entrance of the conflagration that continued to eat away at the structure. A wall of searing heat hit Touma, and he breathed with difficulty. The scorching air threatened to burn his lungs._

 _Backing away from the fires, he managed to see the cause of the blaze beyond the hole in the wall. Armed with rifles and surrounding the doomed residence were a group of police officers._

 _One such police officer noticed him. The officer must have notified his group, because they all raised their rifles and took aim._

 _They pointed death at Touma._

 _Wide eyes were met with the flash of gunfire-_

* * *

"Aaahh!"

Touma threw himself out of the bathtub, stumbling through the small room and knocking over various objects in the dark, screaming all the while.

It was still night time. He was in the bathroom in his apartment.

"Th-the hell!?"

Gripping the blanket that somehow managed to remain on his body, his erratic breathing and thundering heart seemed to endanger his very wellbeing as he leaned into the wall and slid down onto the floor.

(Not again!)

The boy was a trembling mess on the floor. He could only let out a helpless whimper.

It had been a while since GREMLIN had terrorized the world. Touma had confronted Magic God Othinus but she had appeared to have destroyed the world before he could act (she had placed Phases over the world to give the impression that the world really had been destroyed). Although they had spent what may very well have been eternity in various Phases locked in battle and arguments, they had eventually come to a mutual understanding of each other and had allied themselves against the entire world after Othinus had restored it. At the end of the ordeal, Othinus lost her powers as a Magic God and became a 15 centimeter doll-like fairy. The former Magic God now lived with Touma.

A short amount of time had passed after GREMLIN's defeat. The high school boy, having been subjected to terror after terror and faced with an unimaginable quantity of hells in the form of the Phases, in addition to the more recent threats and horrors presented by the arrival of St. Germain, additional Magic Gods and the World Rejecter, his mental state has all but begun to deteriorate, finally showing the effects of his numerous life-threatening adventures.

His fortitude was failing him.

His most recent nightmare was a recollection and reinterpretation of one of the first Phases the former Magic God had created to break Touma's heart. Knowing how that particular Phase ended to give way to the next, Touma feared for his next night, when he will inevitably be forced to relive the continuation of his nightmares.

He sat on the floor and his breathing soon became slowed, calm and controlled. He sat on the floor until his heartrate decreased until it was steady.

Even then, he remained where he sat on the floor. He made no attempt to move.

…

(At least I didn't wake up Index or Othinus. I don't want to have to worry them… I need some air.)

He steadily rose up, putting a hand on the wall to keep his balance. Exiting the bathroom and into the dark living room of his apartment, he stood by the door, weary unfocused eyes staring into the distance far beyond. A silent sigh escaped his lips. Running a hand through his spiky hair, he spared a glance towards the bedroom where he heard the light breathing of a certain nun, and then towards a dollhouse on the shelf where the former Magic God resided - safe from the reaches of their calico cat - before making his way to the front entrance of his apartment, carefully lest he awaken either inhabitants.

Without looking back, he unlocked the door and stepped out into the night scenery of Academy City.


	2. Chapter 2

**G** **ood day nyaa~** **Before I move on to the reviews, I would like to say th** **ank you to 321jaz, keastros, , captainjames71, RyuAssasin, CrystalDawnOwO, Xxoercas01, FCJ69,** **Raulex44,** **Mr. Self-Depreciation** **, Cthulu-On-The-Moon, blaster522 and CD DC** **for following** **Silent Suffering** **! Hopefully I'll be able to successfully turn the ideas I have into actual words in this story. Thank you again 321jaz, captainjames71, Sync Ryu, FCJ69** **,** **Raulex44** **and CD DC** **for favoriting! It's great to have you all on board.**

 **: Thank you for waiting! Hopefully the story will be, in future, more developed so that you and I can see where I'm going with this.**

 **Guest: Thank you for pointing that out, I've made the correction. I agree that the story as it is currently isn't much at all, but let's see where we go, eh? Thank you for reading!**

 **FCJ69: I think I might not include stuff that happens after NT15 because I'm going to be turning away from the original storyline soon. I've yet to read NT16 though – that should be good! Here's the next chapter.**

 **Markoz89: Gracias! You're right, with everything that Touma does, I'm surprised he can still smile or complain about his misfortune. Ah, poor Touma. School will start soon, which means I might not have as much time to write, but we'll see.**

 **Handsomistic1: Nice, mine is playing music, though I might have to put that aside if I want to be serious about writing. The LNs about Othinus were marvelously written, in my opinion. You should definitely have a read when you have the time. I, too, wonder how Touma will act in the days to come. Will he continue with his trademark Touma Punch and save** **more** **girls?**

 **Cthulu-On-The-Moon: I'm glad you're enjoying the beginnings of the story so far! I will admit, though, that I don't really know how to write . I write whatever sounds good. If you do notice that I've written something incorrectly, please do point it out.**

 **Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the last chapter.**

* * *

It was cold outside. Ambling through the dimly lit streets of Academy City while dressed in nothing more than his jeans, orange t-shirt and a jacket over top, Kamijou Touma's eyes were as vacant as the streets he found himself in. The December chill ate away at his body as he had neglected to wear suitable clothing, though the cold was, for the most part, ignored. He didn't have a destination. He merely willed his body to move him forward in a subconscious effort.

Usually, a small number of individuals could be seen prowling the night – those were most likely delinquents who ignored curfew. However, the majority of the student body had moved out of the city to reunite with their families in anticipation for the holiday season, leaving the districts emptier and quieter. In this instance, Touma was truly alone on the streets.

He had nothing to keep him company, save for his thoughts. Try as he might, the flashing images and the thoughts that plagued his mind could not be ignored and put to the back of his mind like he could with the wintry weather.

(So now the nightmares have moved on to the Phases, huh…)

When he had first begun to have these recurring nightmares, they had been of his first encounters with the dark side of Academy City and the magic side (at least from what he could remember after his memory loss). He had been forced to relive having his arm being cut off by an alchemist who had failed to save his partner; made to swallow the fear of facing Academy City's Number One to stop an experiment which involved the mass production of clones; witnessing the death of his blond-haired friend during a struggle against an angel; and desperately trying to survive in an almost one-sided battle against God's Right Seat in World War III.

A normal high school boy such as Touma should not have seen the things he had seen. Any normal person's sanity would have been endangered. Some could say that how he was able to smile and shake off his troubles up until now was nothing short of a miracle.

But if that really was a miracle, then it would be destroyed by his power and source of misfortune, the Imagine Breaker.

The boy knew very well what his next nightmares will entail. They seemed to progress in a chronological order, from his first skirmishes to his latest close confrontations with death. He had even been killed thousands, if not tens of thousands, of times during his clash against Othinus in the Phases.

Touma is one of the very few beings to have, beyond doubt, died countless times. Besides the boy, only the Misaka Network has experienced a little over ten thousand individual deaths, though it is very possible that he had perished even more times than this.

It could be said that death is a permanent end to all things, like the closing curtains to a play. Nothing should elude death; this is a universal law. Not much is known about death either; indeed, some say that there is an afterlife of some description, whereas others deny this, stating that death truly is the final moment of life. Others still might add that your life flashes before your eyes in the moment before death. Whatever the case may be, it is almost indisputable that the notion of passing generates fear of the unknown.

A few thousand deaths into the torment he was subjected to, Touma was unable to fear death. He had become accustomed to dying. He realized that that would be a frightening thought for most people.

The boy ambled through the district, his thoughts following him.

He noticed that his surroundings were considerably darker than before. Grass, rather than paving stones, was beneath his feet. He had happened across a park, away from the illumination of street lights. The silhouettes of trees hid much of the urban lights from him. Not even the light of the stars could guide him, for the night was a cloudy one. The air was still; the clouds were to remain.

A bench was beside him. Slowly and deliberately, he rested his body on it. Lying along the length of the bench, he faced the black sky.

It reminded him of the bleak, empty world that he had woken up in after the apparent destruction of the world by the might of a Magic God.

A sigh escaped him and he shut his eyes, willing his mind to move on to other matters. That's right, he had been absent for a majority of his time in school, which meant he had a lot of catching up to do. He hasn't seen his friends much either.

(How are Tsuchimikado and Aogami? I wonder if they've been well. Have they done things deserving of punishment from Fukiyose, I wonder… Oh… I have lots of homework to do…)

"Haaa…. With all the stuff that's been going on, I've barely had any time to catch up on my studies." lamented the boy, speaking to the air around him. "My life is a mess. It's plagued by misfortune at every turn…"

Slowly opening his eyes, he cast a sharp glare towards his right hand which rested on his stomach.

"That's right…" He took on a tone of intense disdain. It did not suit the boy and it sounded foreign and strange.

"Imagine Breaker."

Each syllable was spoken harshly.

Imagine Breaker, the inexplicable power of supernatural negation that seemed to be neither scientific nor magical in origin. With the ability to dispel any supernatural power such as esper powers and magic powers, Touma has used it as one of the foundations of his strength to clench his fist and protect the smiles of others. With it, he, Academy City's weakest, was able to stand his ground and even defeat Academy City's strongest, saving the lives of 9,969 military clones of the 3rd ranked Level Five, the Railgun (his ability is undetectable by the city's scanners, thus labeling him a Level Zero). With it, he was able to realize the downfall of God's Right Seat and put an end to World War III, consequently saving countless lives that would have otherwise had to endure continued suffering were the war to continue. With it, he was able to turn his back against the entire world with no one but a misunderstood girl by his side.

With it, he was able to protect the smiles of the people around him by shouldering the misfortune of others, oftentimes even at the cost of his own happiness.

It was a sacrifice he had been willing to make, at least up until this point.

He had never thought about it deeply before; he hadn't even realized it until recently. Whenever his carton of eggs fell on the ground and broke after waiting in line in the supermarket for hours, or when he lost huge sums of money to a certain vending machine, he would sigh and complain of his misfortune. Whenever he returned to the hospital to be treated for injuries both minor and severe, he would laugh it off (and inwardly complain of his misfortune). Whenever he dared approach the mountain that was his pile of homework (often left unfinished due to his many misadventures), he would often be on the verge of tears (and still complain of his misfortune). Even before his memory loss, his life had been beset by misfortune.

If anyone was truly misfortunate, it would be Kamijou Touma. The amount of pain he had to endure was the reason why he could put up with his own misfortune and carry the burden of others. He understood suffering. He didn't want others to suffer as he did.

In all honestly, Kamijou Touma is the perfect selfless hero who could give the ultimate sacrifice for a stranger.

But sometimes, even the perfect fall short.

Reluctantly, he recalled the instance where he had failed to save the smiles of the entire world – no, where he had destroyed those smiles of the entire world; Version_Omega - the world where Othinus had successfully removed conflict, misery and pain altogether, the world where everyone was smiling, Kamijou Touma understood then that he was not special. He knew this fact beforehand, but having the truth brutally hammered into him caused him to think about it again.

He was not special.

Anyone could have done what he had accomplished. That was proven in one of the Phases created by Othinus as he stood witness to the life of "Kamijou Touma" and his interactions with the world around him.

And what he had been aiming to accomplish, others can do flawlessly. The Majin outshone him when she had been able to eradicate misery entirely, allowing every single individual being on Earth to smile with sincerity and true happiness. Touma's own attempts paled miserably in the light of her success.

He was a normal high school boy with a strange ability that resided in his right hand. But even that was not exclusive to him; World Rejecter was born out of the disappointment the Magic Gods had towards the Imagine Breaker, and it had manifested itself in the right hand of another normal high school boy.

There was nothing unique about him to speak of. He was naught but a normal high school boy who lived with the curse of misfortune, the curse of Imagine Breaker.

"Imagine Breaker… You really are a curse."

He was a normal high school boy, as insignificant and worthless a spent battery to be discarded after use. But being the wielder of Imagine Breaker meant he had to live with all the detriments of magic, science and the lives of ordinary people while he was never allowed to live with the benefits. It was merely surplus weight on his already heavy shoulders, and it threatened to crush him.

All it took was one decisive act to instigate change.

All it took was one additional straw to break the boy.

All it took for the boy to set himself free was to remove the curse of Imagine Breaker.

"But even if I tear off my right arm, it will grow back. Fiamma had undeniably severed my arm during our battle, but it had grown back."

A dry laugh made its way through his throat and out through his parted lips. It was a laugh without mirth and contained much self-loathing.

He set his gaze upon the sky once again. A small part of the clouds have parted, revealing a lone star that flickered like a candle.

"I don't want Imagine Breaker anymore."

He fixed his eyes on the star. For a while he stared at it, unblinking. Then, he closed his eyes once again.

"I don't want Imagine Breaker anymore" he said again. "I just want a normal life"

…

* * *

He was still on the bench in the park at night when Touma noticed that the singular star in the sky had begun to glow brighter than before. It couldn't have been just his imagination – no, the star was definitely glowing brighter. It was increasing in size, too. Within the next few seconds, it had grown into the size of a full moon and was equally as bright. It was also a bright gold.

(Oh great, I've finally lost it. Either an asteroid is headed for the planet, or I'm seeing things.)

He showed no sign of surprise or agitation at the strange occurrence high above him. It wasn't because of the fact he had actually attempted to stand his ground in whatever futile desperation he had against an actual asteroid. He simply did not have the energy left to deal with another supernatural phenomenon.

Like a floodlight that was positioned high above a stadium, the celestial object cast a curtain of sparkling golden light onto the immediate area surrounding the boy. The park was bathed in an ethereal presence. It was reminiscent of the time when Fiamma had bridged the theological divide between this mortal plane and the realm of Heaven.

Nonetheless, the boy stood up, awed at the sight.

It may have been his intuition, or it may have been his imagination, but he swore he could feel a presence. Not the kind of presence one would use in a descriptive manner, but he felt as though there was someone, or something, there with him. Pressure was now building in his chest and he longed to uncover the nature of this occurrence. He tried to shake off the uneasy feeling that someone was watching him, but the unease persisted and grew.

"Wh-who's there?" Touma demanded, posture shifting slightly into a defensive stance.

"I Am Who I Am."

A resounding voice spoke in response. It spoke with great authority, yet with tenderness. Its voice was loud, yet it had a calming effect on the boy.

"…That's a bit vague." The boy remarked. "Who are you exactly?"

"I am your Lord and the Father of the Son of Man. I am as much a part of you, my child, as you are a part of me, for I am always within your-"

"Are you a magician?"

The boy's interruption put an abrupt stop to the otherworldly voice.

If the voice had a physical body, it may have sported an expression of astonishment, irritation or confusion.

"…I am not a magician. I am He who watches over-"

"You talk weird like a stuck-up magician and you made the weird lights. Can I call you Henjin-san?"

The otherworldly voice was slightly but undeniably irritated.

"You… may call me Henjin." Touma merely nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well, Henjin-san, what are you doing in Academy City? Have you come to find me or something?"

"…Yeah, actually, I have."

The sudden change of tone was a slight surprise to Touma, but it was one he welcomed over the previous tone of something akin to the way an ojou-sama would speak.

"Although, that's not entirely accurate; not to sound arrogant or self-centered or anything, but I'm an omniscient being who has watched over the world ever since its creation. As such, I've observed you ever since your life began, even if you may have denied my existence on multiple occasions." The voice of Henjin stated, waiting for Touma to form his response.

"So are you like God? The one Christians worship?"

"I'm God, yeah. Although you have rejected all my miracles, leaving you with pure misfortune, I'm still able to watch over you, even if I can't interact with you. But I heard your wish, Kamijou. You don't want to be the bearer of Imagine Breaker, right?"

Touma was startled at this. God had heard him? And he had been watching him for a long time? It is true that his ability, Imagine Breaker, dispels all supernatural powers and even God's miracles, but that has always been simple speculation on his part. Has he really been that much of a bother to God if he denied God's miracles at every point of his life?

The spiky-haired boy formed his response. It didn't matter if the one he was talking to was not actually God, but another magician who wanted to deceive him in some way and fight him after all was said and done. If there was a small chance that this being who had presented himself so suddenly has the power to grant his wish, then he couldn't complain.

"Yeah, Imagine Breaker has helped me a lot through my life. It's been the power that has allowed me to hold my own against powerful opponents. I wouldn't have stood a chance if I didn't have my ability; I'm an ordinary level zero, even with Imagine Breaker. It's because I have Imagine Breaker that I'm able to act on my words and help those in need without getting myself killed. It's saved my own skin more times than I could count.

"But while it's given me the power to fight, it's also the direct cause of my misfortune. Everyone wonders how I'm able to cope with all the stuff that happens to me, and recently I wonder how I manage to cope too. I explain to them that all I want is for them to be able to smile. I don't really have a reason to help others, and I don't need a reason either. I'll just deal with the extra misfortune as it comes, you know?"

Henjin was quiet, prompting Touma to continue.

"I've been wondering… Is it really worth it? Is it really worth suffering lethal injuries, going off to fight battles in distant countries halfway across the world and, above all, making my friends worry? It might also be inconsiderate and selfish of me to say this, but I… I don't want to suffer anymore. I've realized how close I've actually come to dying, excluding the time I spent in the Phases – that was all manipulated for Othinus' own benefit and to actually break me at the time. I don't want to deal with all… that… anymore. I'm not saying I can't – who knows, maybe I am – but I don't want to live a life of pain and misfortune."

Touma was sitting on the bench by this point. He looked down as his fingers intertwined.

He had exposed his desires. Throughout his life, he had placed the desires of others above his own, always wanting to help them and maintain their happiness. However, he had just expressed his own desires to a stranger after suppressing them from his friends for so long. It had brought a constant pressure on his mind, but he found that it had eased somewhat after lowering his defensive walls, removing his façade of feigned ignorance and contentment and admitted his pains and troubles to Henjin, who had thus far remained silent and attentive.

After a moment of shared contemplative silence, the almighty being addressed the high school boy.

"In essence, you don't want to continue living a life that is rife with pain and misfortune. You also no longer want to be the wielder of Imagine Breaker. Am I right?"

Touma nodded. He wondered if Henjin was able to see the action, so he spoke to confirm it.

"What you're asking for isn't impossible, but it requires you to work with me as much as I need to work with you."

"How so, Henjin-san?"

"I can remove Imagine Breaker from your right hand. You'll be free of your profuse amounts of misfortune after. Also-"

"Y-you can really do that?" Unable to contain himself, he shouted over Henjin, then, realizing his mistake, he added "But my right hand would dispel any miracle you give me. How would you remove Imagine Breaker?"

"I have all the power I need to do that, but I need your cooperation. In addition to removing Imagine Breaker, I can also present an offer that only a select few have been given."

Hearing that, Touma's curiosity took advantage of the situation, much to his disappointment. He only wanted to be rid of his curse. He shouldn't be asking for more, as that would be rather disrespectful of God, who had put it upon himself to see to his pleas, as well as the values that he lived for. Touma was never one for seeking or wanting praise for his actions. He would sooner leave his friends and return to his apartment before he heard the words of thanks. This was for the reason that he simply did not desire thanks. He merely did what he does because it needed to be done and he was the one that could do it.

Hesitantly, "A… an offer?" he asked.

"Indeed. How would you like to be immortal?"

"…"

Touma was silent. The golden curtain of light continued to caress his body in an almost enticing manner.

"You see, I could grant you immortality and the ability to no longer experience pain and suffering. You'd be free of misfortune and pain. You will have nothing to fear; not even death will be a concern. What do you say, Kamijou?"

"I…" It had not originally been immortality that he had been seeking. Of course, death has visited Touma recurrently to the point of having lost the anxiety associated with the concept of death. However, who was to say that his own personal misfortune would not cause a sudden death, ending his life short? All it took was one accidental fall in his bathroom and a hard surface (of which there are many of in any bathroom) to collide with his head; all it took was stray esper ability to connect with him and take effect, potentially killing him.

When faced with the sudden proposition of immortality, the guarantee of complete safety, Touma did not pause to consider the possibility that accidents were normal, strange as it may sound. He did not pause to consider the possibility that living as a cripple was normal, in the same was as how Accelerator took his condition as the current norm and lived with the aid of his crutch, albeit with the support of the Misaka Network.

No, Touma did not pause to consider those possibilities.

"I… I'll take it."

His statement was one of determination and finalized resolve.

"I'll want to have Imagine Breaker removed. I also want to become immortal."

The voice of Henjin hummed in contentment, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

"Very well, Kamijou. If that's what you want, then I need you to-"

"Also, uh, could you do me a favor?" Touma's entire demeanor transformed completely as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-yes? What is it?" If the otherworldly being could show facial expressions, it may have been that of a deadpan face.

"Well, you see, since you apparently have the power to remove my Imagine Breaker and make me immortal, I figured you'd have the power to return Othinus to her normal size. You know, before all the GREMLIN stuff happened. She says otherwise, but she is distressed about her current state. I can't help but think that, whenever she's smiling, behind that smile…"

"I understand" his interjection brought Touma to a stop. "You just want her, like everyone else, to be happy, right?" Again, Touma mutely nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I have the power to return her to her former glory, in stature, at least."

Hearing this, the spiky-haired boy smiled. "Thank you Henjin-san. Also, I'm sorry for causing you trouble with your, uh, inability to send me miracles." He added, perhaps as an afterthought.

"Don't have to thank me, Kamijou" the God replied with gusto. "Now, all you need to do now is help me grant your three wishes. All you need to do…"

The boy hung on to every word.

"…Is to believe."

"…Eh? Like praying?" Touma inquired, unsure whether he had heard the God of Christianity correctly or whether there was a simpler, straightforward way to achieve the wishes, such as performing a dance or punching someone.

"Yeah, like praying. I thought that wording it like I did would have been a better choice, but I guess not. Oh well, moving on… Yeah, Kamijou, all you have to do is to believe, or pray, that what you wish for will come true. If you genuinely believe I have the ability, your wishes will be granted. It's as simple as that!" The deity finished his brief explanation to the high school boy, who took a moment to kneel down on the grass and put his hands together in what he believed to be the correct posture for praying. The sight would have been more realistic had he not raised his hands high in the air with his face contorted in deep concentration.

(Othinus… You'll be able to live like a normal human being now.)

The God, satisfied with his encounter with Touma, proceeded to immerse the park in an increasingly dazzling radiance; no single part of the environment was without light.

(I'll be able to live a normal life now; a life free from misfortune and suffering.)

Kamijou Touma continued to kneel with the biggest joyful smile on his face as he has been while the park was illuminated by God. He could almost feel the unfathomable power that was being used to transform his wishes into reality.

For a short while, everything remained that way. And then, the golden light began to dissipate, and before long, the park was once again enshrouded in darkness.

* * *

When he regained consciousness, the first thing Kamijou Touma felt was something wet landing on his face. Confusion flickered across his mind, prompting him to open his eyes to be met with the sight of the charcoal-black night sky, only to feel something wet land on his face a second time. The hard surface that pressed against his back meant he was lying on the bench.

A light drizzle started to fall.

The boy lied still. His mind, now fully woken and working overdrive, was rampant with bizarre thoughts and emotions. He was not certain, but he seemed to remember talking to someone who wasn't there, or at least, not physically present. And, perhaps more peculiarly, there was a golden light. A lot of it. It seemed silly and strange that he would be talking to an invisible man who exuded a golden aura, but his life was filled with nothing strange encounters.

(I see. It was a dream. Nothing's changed after all; I'm still the same old misfortunate me. This rain proves that.)

"Fukou da."

"Hey! You there!"

"And I'm still delusional" he sighed. He thought he had heard a voice shouting at him, but he chalked it up to his imagination. After all, who would be outdoors in the middle of a rainy night during the cold winter season?

"Touma!"

Still doubting his own mental state, the boy, in his dampening clothes, looked up with a puzzled expression as the figure approached him. The drizzle ceased to affect his body too; in the newcomer's hands he saw an umbrella protecting the two from the elements. His gaze shifting from the umbrella to study the one who held it above them, he observed the person's shoulder-length chestnut hair, with a hairpin to fix the style in place, save for a few loose stands which hung loosely over the girl's face. Unlike the high school boy, the girl was appropriately dressed for the cold December month, sporting jeans, a warm fur coat and a scarf that proudly showed off its carton mascot design, Touma recognizing it as Gekota. He could only think of one girl with a fascination for the carton frog.

"Misaka?"

While the boy sat up with a groan, Misaka Mikoto merely huffed in annoyance, though for what reason Touma did not know. He resolved to choose his next words wisely, lest he invoked the might of the electric princess as was their tradition. But before he could even form a sentence in his mind, Misaka, with her free hand, reached down to pull the boy up by his arm.

"Geez, when Saten-san told me a few weeks ago of a rumor about a ghost haunting District 7 at night, I waved it off as another silly story of hers, but when she mentioned something about a spiky-haired apparition, I had a feeling it was you. And now I've finally caught you, idiot! Come on, let's get out of the rain." Then, likely as an afterthought, she stuttered "B-but it wasn't l-like I was w-worried or anything! I-it's bad for you if you stay out this late all the time. Come on already!" she tugged at Touma's arm after realizing he had refused to stand up, staring at the source of the rumor himself.

With a sigh, Touma relented before the persistent girl and rose up from his seat. As he faced the Ace of Tokiwadai, an expression of extreme self-loathing flickered across his face and his eyes narrowed slightly. It was present for barely a fraction of a second before it was gone, replaced with a sheepish smile accompanied by a nervous chuckle.

His swift change in demeanor did not escape Mikoto's ever-observant eyes, however.

"Ehehe... Sorry Misaka. I guess it's my fault for making you worried. But even as a ghost, I couldn't stay hidden, huh? ... Sorry, let's find somewhere dry."

The high school boy rubbed the back of his head, smiling and apologizing all the while. Unbeknownst to the girl, though, he was studying the suspicious gaze that Mikoto cast upon him. If he doesn't want to worry her any further, he needed to convince her that there was no reason for her to be concerned. This meant tidying up his act.

"Touma, I'm going to drop you off at your apartment." She explained. Almost immediately after making her statement, her face began to heat up; the boy noticed that her face was quickly gaining a rosy red hue. He could imagine why that might be, for he was not as dense and oblivious as he had most people believe. After all, it would take an incredible measure of willpower for a typical high school boy to not jump in childish excitement at having a girl come with them to their residence, and the spiky-haired boy has gradually learned what those peculiar feelings meant and how to counter them; Touma did not want to deal with the trouble of even being seen with a girl late at night (and face the divine retribution of a certain nun and former Magic God, should Mikoto choose to electrocute him, for some reason that still eludes him, on the opposite side of the door, leading to their discovery by the two freeloaders who lived with Touma).

Mikoto had effectively managed to silence herself with nought but a simple statement and a very imaginative mind. Seeing that she was crippled with embarrassment, Touma took this chance to take control of the situation.

"Misaka," he began, "I don't think that's a good idea. It's way past curfew and I have a feeling your pervert roommate is awake and no doubt worried about you. You also have a dorm supervisor, and the longer you stay out here, the more worried she'd be too. Both problems are exclusive to you, since Index and Othinus were both asleep when I left, and I don't have a dorm supervisor."

Hearing this, the middle schooler hastily regained her composure somewhat. "But I need to make sure you get back to your place! That's why I need to f-follow you at every step and turn off the way to stop you from running away."

Touma smiled warmly. "Let's go to your dorm. If I remember correctly, it's not too far from my place. I'll drop you off there, and I promise I'll go back to my dorm after. Okay Misaka?"

It is true that she did feel guilty for leaving her roommate and going out at night for the past few weeks. A similar thing had happened during the Level Six Shift, and Shirai Kuroko had known that something was troubling Misaka greatly. The Railgun silently cursed herself for making her roommate worried. The teleporter probably thought something serious was bothering her again. Additionally, the wrath of the dorm supervisor was not something she wanted to invoke.

After much internal debate with Touma's logic, Mikoto sighed.

"F-fine. We'll go to my dorm, and then you'll… to my dorm… together…" More blood rushed to her head and she was again crippled by the mighty influence of an emotion called embarrassment.

"Yes, yes, we're going to yours. Also, Misaka, you're still grabbing my arm."

"Eh?"

Chestnut eyes focused on the hand that still possessed a firm grip on the boy's arm. Metaphorical steam was emanating from her head at this point. However, the sparks that flickered in and out of existence were not metaphorical; they were as real as natural lightning and posed the same level of danger for the unfortunate boy.

Sensing the lethal fate that endangered his wellbeing, Touma hurriedly put his right hand on the electric girl's head. His well-practiced reflexes allowed the process to be completed within a second. As soon as his right hand made contact with her, the sound of shattering glass resounded through the park and the sparks disappeared instantly.

At least, that was what should have happened.

There was no piercing ring of glass being shattered, and the sparks were not negated by his right hand. His actions merely resulted in a perplexed spiky-haired boy and an ever-increasingly flustered electromaster.

Likely misunderstanding the situation in some way entirely, Mikoto could no longer control her emotions or her powers. With a shout, a blinding arc of electricity sliced through the air, finding its way to the boy and discharging thousands of volts into him. A cry of pain tore its way through Touma's throat, and his smoking, trembling body collapsed on to the ground.

Mikoto huffed and turned to the side, crossing her arms.

"…Idiot"

* * *

 **Thank you for reading chapter 2. I've hit a slight writers' block, so the next upload might not be for a while. As always, if you see any mistakes I've made, please don't hesitate to point it out. Criticism, both positive and constructive, is appreciated.**

 **I shall see you next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good day~ Sorry for the late upload. I would blame it on school, but that's not an excuse, it is? A good target to blame would be I, rather.**

 **New followers! The cult is growing stronger. Markoz89, G119, Cthulu-On-The-Moon, The SENDER, Grey-Rebl, Mizu Ryujin, XaetaminVaela, FlashDevil, Traitless Eru, Hilem, thank you very much for following! I hope that I'll be able to keep you entertained throughout this and future chapters. Big thanks to Markoz89, G119, Cthulu-On-The-Moon, The SENDER, Mizu Ryujin, Traitless Eru, Hilem, for favoriting!**

 **Handsomistic1: Originally, the previous chapter was supposed to be longer, but I couldn't find a way to end it nicely, so there . Here, Mikoto has (mostly) calmed down enough to be able to think straight. And as for you questions... Time will only tell, eh?**

 **Markoz89: Wow. Such a remarkable insight. I'm so happy because you took the time to write a long, insightful review and it must have taken a while to write. You seem to like reading 'Silent Suffering', and for that, I'm really glad.**

 **I wanted a character that can take away Touma's Imagine Breaker, and my friend suggested that I use God. So that's how he came about. But honestly, I have not even begun to imagine the implications of these events, especially now that Othinus may have been returned to her normal size. How will the world react to that? Even I don't quite know yet.**

 **I ship ToumaxOthinus (do you know of the concept of 'shipping'? Anyway, that just means my** **favorite** **pairing is ToumaxOthinus) and I just wanted to return her to her normal size – there was no other valid reason why . Thank you so much for pointing that out. It could have potentially become a disaster of a mistake without you.**

 **No! Bad Markoz bad! N16! The spoilers! Aahhh! XD**

 **I have a question to ask: a condemned UFO? Also, I'm really sorry that I can't speak Spanish like you. I hope it isn't too much of a bother T.T**

 **321jaz: I hope that I can answer that in the chapters to come. But yes, please do read on ^-^ I'm interested to see where this goes too, if no one else.**

 **Guest 1 and Guest 2: To be honest, the Invisible Thing completely escaped my mind, but we all have to remember that, incredibly strong as it is, it was utterly powerless against Othinus and she's a mortal-come-god. Imagine how it might fare against a 'true' god, so to speak.**

 **Cthulu-On-The-Moon: And I don't think I've ever been written anything that's made me as happy as I am while reading your comment. Honestly I'm very new to this whole writing thing but I am ecstatic beyond words that I've met your expectations so far. I hope I'll be able to consistently deliver good content in future. Thank you so much for your review ^-^**

 **FCJ69: Maybe Touma just wanted to make one last person happy before he gave up his Imagine Breaker. Maybe I just thought it would be fun. Maybe it was a totally bad idea. We'll see what I'll manage to do with that.**

 **Hilem: Thank you! They're annoying, that's for sure. I'm glad you like the story so far ^-^**

 **Since a number of you have brought up the subject of the Invisible Thing, I might use that as an opportunity to explore it within this chapter.**

 **Thank you for reading chapter 2. Here's the next chapter.**

Touma and Mikoto walked beside each other through the quiet district towards the Tokiwadai dormitory. The taller of the two, the boy held Mikoto's umbrella over them to escape the rain as the two made their way to their destination at a leisurely pace. The silence between them was almost deafening, only punctuated by the white noise of the rainfall. Still, neither party made any attempt to break the silence, for both were lost within their individual world.

(What the hell was that?)

Touma, tightening and readjusting his grip on the handle of the portable roof in his hand, had replayed the incident numerous times, but only that one question was present and left unanswered in his mind.

He was simply stupefied.

Imagine Breaker did not work when he had used it to defend against the Railgun's attack. It had failed him.

Moreover, and more disconcertingly, he had recovered almost immediately after being electrocuted and had felt no more than a little numb afterwards – the initial pain had faded fast. It did not occur to him to think of the dream he had earlier.

As such, dread tore at his being at being unable to determine the cause of his unfailing ability failing him for the first time in his life.

(What… the hell was that? It wasn't that Misaka's ability was too powerful for Imagine Breaker to completely negate at once, like with Stiyl's Innocentius. My right hand touched her before she launched her attack. That surely would have been able to negate her electricity altogether. But it didn't take effect at all… And how did I recover so quickly from being shocked by what must have been thousands of volts of electricity? Have I finally developed a resistance against Misaka's attacks? That's a depressing thought, actually.)

The two students passed under the illumination of a street light. It possessed a certain quality; the beam of light was gold in coloration. It sparked a certain memory within the boy's mind. It was then that he was able to recall the cause of the problem with his Imagine Breaker, or rather his lack of Imagine Breaker.

(Damn, so that dream was real? I was actually able to get rid of Imagine Breaker after all? That's… good. It means I won't have to deal with tons of misfortune anymore. I can actually live a normal life. Get on with my studies… Though with the amount of catching up I have to do, it would take a whole year to fix… And what's with my being attacked by Misaka already? If anything, the misfortune doesn't seem to have disappeared entirely… Such misfortune.)

So lost within his thoughts was he that he did not initially notice the girl who was calling out his name. Sighing in frustration, Mikoto stepped in front of the boy, blocking his path and finally garnering his attention. It seemed the girl had been requesting for his attention for a while, for she was irritated once again.

"Oi, idiot! Are you even listening to me?" She waved her hand in front of his face to emphasize her question while capturing the focus of the boy. "I said we're outside my dorm now. Walk any further and you'd have smashed your dense self into the equally dense wall. Geez"

"Hmm?" Derailed from his trail of thought, Touma glanced ahead at what was indeed the impressive dormitory building of Tokiwadai before looking down at the shorter girl, but she abruptly looked away before he could so much as offer a sheepish smile. He continued regardless. "Oh, right. Ehehe, sorry Misaka, I must have zoned out for a bit. So, we got here safe and sound with no trouble... Huh, strange. Usually I would fall over or get chased by thugs... Anyway, as promised, I'll start making my way to my dorm now."

He elicited no response from the girl. Curious, he thought of inquiring further, but decided against doing so. He determined that he would wait to see if she had anything to tell him, and he would say goodbye and head home if she didn't.

"Touma"

Finally, the girl spoke. The tone of her voice was not the sort that was naturally used in a query, but neither was it one that contained an indication of anger. The tone of her voice held a certain degree of confidence and forthrightness; it was a statement more than anything else, a point to be made.

"What happened? Back when I… shocked you, you had your right hand on me. That should have negated my powers, but it didn't. Did anything happen to you? Is there anything you should tell me, Touma?"

The point she made was an observation of Touma's failed attempt at negating her electricity. Complementary to her statement of observation was an inquiry into the reason why he had been unable to protect himself.

(Damn!)

It did not occur to him that such a situation would arise so soon. He wanted to stop making others worried; the removal of the Imagine Breaker would separate him from the life-threatening dangers that naturally developed from possessing it. He imagined a scenario where he explained to Mikoto and the others about how he gave up his power with the help of the God of Christianity. In his mental simulation, the reactions he received were mixed; Tsuchimikado and Aogami would likely procure some ridiculous remark on how they would finally have a chance to find girls of their own without the dire effects of the Kami-yan Disease bringing all girls to Touma. However, some of his friends would not accept the fact easily, for they knew, some all too well, that he relied heavily on the power in his right hand to fight for the smiles he so wished to protect. After all, he would not have been able to save Index from the curse cast upon her by the Church of England, and neither would he have been able to save Accelerator, Mikoto and her Sisters from the Level Six Shift.

Had he not been present for the interventions, would someone else have been able to save Index? Would someone else have been able to save Misaka, her Sisters as well as Accelerator?

Could someone else take on the role of 'Kamijou Touma'? The boy recalled the worlds of Version_Beta, where he had been witness to the everyday life of 'Kamijou Touma', and Version_Omega, a world devoid of negative emotions and existed only because Othinus had the power to usher forth an age of true happiness; both were creations of the former Magic God for the sole purpose of showing him that anyone could easily replace him. He knew that Othinus had removed the memories of Touma from the people of Version_Omega to maintain the image that the world could carry on without him, but even while knowing that fact, a tense feeling gnawed away at him. It was not dissimilar to self-loathing, to an extent; certainly he held a degree of resentment towards the former Majin for succeeding where he had failed.

He came to the conclusion that the intense emotion he felt was one called jealousy. He hated himself for even daring to feel as such towards the one that had succeeded where he failed.

He knew that the Imagine Breaker was not a simple power. It was not as straightforward as the manipulation of vectors or the control of electricity, for he believed – and had good reason, too – that his power, the Imagine Breaker, was sentient, to an unknown measure. It would manifest into a physical, though often invisible, apparition-like entity that seemed to possess far more than just the power of negation.

The Invisible Thing. Capable of rendering an opponent devoid of their memories, it possessed a power capable of diminishing even the might of an esper level that transcends above Level Five; it had devoured an attack from a Level Five electromaster under the influence of the Level Six Shift. The Invisible Thing was, in speculation, capable of choosing its host. Historical religious texts exist which speak of the sentient being's choosing of people, objects, and even locations as its host.

It could have easily chosen a different host at any point in time. There was no higher power that dictated it to be Touma who saves Index, anyone who held the Imagine Breaker could have achieved the same result. He vehemently denied that he was a unique person with a unique power, and Version_Beta ultimately proved him right in his belief with the portrayal of 'Kamijou Touma'. Touma wasn't important. Touma would not have been the only one capable of saving Index.

Suppose the higher power residing in his right hand chose to stay with him. Even if he alone wielded the power of negation, it did not mean that he would be the most suitable person to act in any given situation. For example, he had suffered lethal injuries during his fight against Academy City's strongest, even if he had seized victory in the end. Others would have been able to emerge victorious from the same fight unscathed. He thought of a certain Level Four teleporter then, and the potentially fatal dangers that resulted from the usage of the ability to teleport. If one could accidentally teleport themselves into objects, what is there to suggest that it could not be done, intentionally, on others? A simple pebble could be teleported from the ground into the opponent, harming them, crippling them, or killing them. The Number One would discover that he was not the strongest. With some well-chosen words of persuasion, he would ultimately be set on the same path that Touma had shown him, perhaps even being shown a better alternative where he managed to save Last Order without becoming crippled in the process.

Touma wasn't important. Touma would not have been the only one capable of saving Accelerator, Misaka and her 9,969 Sisters.

If everything he had worked for and stood for didn't matter, if his very existence didn't matter, then the least he could do was to ease the worried electromaster before him. He wouldn't subject her to the woes of his misfortune. He probably did not even deserve to speak with a high-ranking, intelligent and kind individual such as Misaka Mikoto.

Setting his focus once again on the girl, the boy tilted his head to the side slightly, mentally conflicted yet confident in his choice. "But I didn't do anything like that."

Confused, Mikoto stared at Touma, confoundedly and somewhat suspiciously. "What?"

Touma explained himself to her. "I didn't do anything like that. I didn't use Imagine Breaker, if that's what you're wondering about. You caught me completely off guard, remember; one moment you were grabbing my arm, and the next you were shocking me like your life depended on it."

Mikoto stepped closer to the boy, examining him for any hint of a lie or a deception. She swore that she had felt the boy's hand on her head before she released her unrestrained attack on him. "What are you talking about? I heard that sound of glass shattering and everything."

"Exactly; you heard it. But did you really hear it, or were you imagining that you had heard it? You've seen my power a lot, so you know what it looks and sounds like as well as what it's supposed to do. I think you just imagined that you heard that sound based on the amount of times you've heard it before. We can say the same about you feeling my hand on your head, too. I think you must be imagining it, Misaka."

"But…" Was what the boy telling her true? Did she really imagine him using his power on her, but it had failed to take effect? Maybe he didn't use Imagine Breaker. Even if she was confident in her inspection of the incident in question before, she was no longer confident now due to his logical reasoning.

In causing her to doubt herself, Touma was able to remove the suspicion directed at him, at least for the time being. The subject of the conversation now had to be changed so that he can remove himself from the scene sooner. He could not afford to give her a valid reason to doubt his words, after all, which meant either he watches his words or he takes leave immediately. He put on a bright smile. "Hey, since you actually managed to land a hit on me this time, we should celebrate! Not now, of course, but I reckon we should do something nice, like finding a nice restaurant or something."

"Th-that's not necessary! We don't have to go to any restaurant… Not me… With you… Eating out together…" Once again, her emotions rendered her frozen on the spot as her higher cognitive functioning struggled to reign in her fantasies of posh restaurants with a smartly-dressed spiky-haired boy.

"Oi, Misaka, you okay? Hello? Biribi – actually, I shouldn't call her that…" Even though the boy planned to divert attention away from his apparent lack of Imagine Breaker, he did not want to repeat history. That is, the event where he is electrocuted by a livid electromaster is less than ideal.

Sudden movement caught his attention. It originated from a distance in front of him, and behind Mikoto, who was currently facing the boy. Studying the tall figure that now stood in the entranceway of the Tokiwadai dormitory; he observed the lady's light pink pyjama set with bunny prints, and the fluffy bunny slippers adorned on her feet. This sight would have made Touma mentally comment on the lady's cuteness, were it not for the cold, menacing scowl she wore and the authoritative way in which she had her form; it reminded him of a disciplined soldier standing to attention before their commanding officer. A pair of glasses rested on the bridge of her nose, the lighting from the streetlights reflecting off the glass to obscure her eyes. She was almost the perfect picture of intimidation. Almost.

All in all, this lady must be the dorm supervisor, the boy reckoned. She looked extremely terrifying too.

The boy decided on a course of action. His decision was finalized, his resolve tempered.

"Misaka! It's late, so I'm going to head home now, bye!"

And with that, the spiky-haired boy sped off in the direction of his dorm, leaving behind one dumbfounded electromaster.

"Where have you been, Misaka, hmm?"

However, before the girl could even understand what Touma had done, the voice of a certain dorm supervisor cut through her body, forcing a wave of chills along her spine.

In her mind, she produced an image of a humanoid demon engulfed in hellfire, with its eyes obscured by out-of-place glasses, bearing down on her relatively insignificant form and administering horrific pain and punishment in the form of having her neck snapped as easily as one would with a twig.

Mikoto was paralyzed, her entire being overridden with trepidation.

A pair of strong hands landed on her shoulders. A whimper escaped Mikoto.

 **I'm very sorry for the late upload and short chapter. I promise I'll remedy the problems you have identified previously in regards to the plot itself (addressing the issue surrounding a former Magic God, for one).**


End file.
